Process of producing low-carbon alloys.



PATENTED JUNE SO, 1908.

No. 892,2H.

SS OY FRDUCNF AYPLXUATLQN 1.21) JAN. v, 1908.

f LOW GARBON ALLOYS.

0 mm. l

luf/m2.

`FREDERICK. M. BECKET, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TG 'ELECTRO METALLURGICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATIQN OF WEST YllttlN lA,

PROCESS 0F ?RODUCING LOW-CARBON ALLYS.

No. sono; 1r

Speciication of Letters Potent.

Patented June SO, 190B,

Application flied January 8, 1903. Serial No. 409,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that l, Fnnonnion M. Bncirm, a subject ol' the King ot Great Britain` reside ing at Niagara Fells, in the county o't'Niagora und Stute otNewYorlr, here invented certain new :1nd useful Improvements in Processes ol.' Producing` Low-Cnrhon Alloys, of which the following is o speoilicntion.

This invention relates to the production ot' alloys of the refractory metals, und the oh- 'ect of the invention is to provide a process y means of which such alloys, und more pairticulnrly the alloys oi ynnudium und tung sten, muy he obtained with n loeY cnrhon content and with nny desired proportion oi' iron or other nlloyingry metal. i

In its preferred l'orm the invention con sists in smelting in nn electric l'urnziee :i charge containingr nn oro ol n refractory metal and n reducing agent, one or all ol the electrodes consisting ol iron or of :in ironnlloy, or other nlloyine,I metal, provision ln mg'mnde for cooling the electrodes to regulote their consumption eind the composition of the product.

It is Well known that the rel rnc tory motels, ns for examplel vnnndium and tungsten, possess n high ellinity vfor carbon, und -thut in the production of these metals or their alloys in on electric,furnace haring cru-hou or ernpli-- ite electrodes n consider-ohio proportion oi carbon is tilisorhed by the nietnl or alloy, reducing its velue and limitiiufy its nppliention in the erts. For the production el' nlloys of these metals having" any desired pro` portion ol' iron in excess ol the prooort-ion existing in the ores, it hns heen usunL to incorporate rnetnllic iron or iron ores with 'the charge. ,l have discovered thut the nlloys of the. yretrait-.tory metals, port-ieulnrly their alloys with iron, inny he economicully und commercially produced hy snielting n suit-- able clinrgo by means ol :in electric current carried oy :in electronic or electrodes oi iron 45 serving tis n source ol' iror in the alloy, cool ing menos being applied lo the electrodes to regulate their consumption end therehy to control the composition ol.' the product. The

composition oi the product muy also he conn trollod by ndjustnient ol the'current conditions und regulution ot the temperature ot' the hath, or hy the addition oi" iron or ores of iron or other nlloyingnul nl to the charlie. Thefxzooling ol the electrodes may he nceoinplisli'ed by the use of coolingl jackets such :is i time.

described in connection with cnrhon eleetrodes in my prior potent, No. SAlL grented June Ll, 1907; or any suitnhle cooling ineens muy be used.

Suit-nhle nppnrntus lor carrying out the process is shown in the :recoinpnnyingr drowing, wherein Figure l is :i 'vertical longitudinnl section ol u sineltinrf ilurnneo, showing two dependin;r electrodes und their cooling( juclwls; und Fig. 2 is :i vertical transverse section ol' n l ur- .nnce snowingr nu electrode provided with two superposed cooling; jackets'. .o

The lurnnce shown crnnprises n door :ind sides l und :i rool 'l which muy. lie of lireluick, ln the rootI nre two yerticnl openings il through which pass the cooling :tickets 4, preferably ol iron.. which in turn receive the electrodes .5, o olE opposite polarity, hnving terininnh` und supports 5', o. To the upper rnd ot euch jiu-het :ire connected pipes 7, S, nrriml hy n hrm-liet l) which is niljustnhly mounted on n, vertical rod lll.

ser

Q i i hoh :is u ineens i'or :idliustnhly sup portingr the jucliets Al independently o'll the furnsiceuoot nud electrodes :ind lor the supply und dischurge ot witter or other Cooling medium. r Y

hie'. 'l `shows n uuidilied construction in which the electrode is provided with two suierposed coolingr pickets 2%, 33. The lower pichet, is cloniped within n ring ll which is carried hy arms 'l2 ndjustuhly supported nt their outer ends upon Vrerticul rods lll. The upper iin-.heli is prei'ernhly split longitudi- 'nnlly ou the line 1I, nud the two sections nre clumped together hy the rini,r lll.

The cringe io he smelled moy coinnrise nn orr` or concentratie containing u relmctory inetnl, ns-iior example un oxid ore ot vnunliunior tungsten, n conventi-nie therelrom, or :in oftid prepared from such orc; sullid ores ol vunndiuni or oxygeneontninituf products prepared therefrom; und :i suituhle reducingr uurntgis cnrhon, silicon, lcrro-silicini, .silicon enr'oid or the like, :in ncid or husii: llux heilig usually added in proportion lo yield with the constituents ot the purtieulnr ore t suitnhle slag. The current is preleruhly sullicient. to completely 'fuse the charrue, pro\f'id inr n molten conductor between the electrodos, into which iresh portions ol' the, eliurge muy he introduced und from beneath which the inetnllie product may he tripped from time to 'zlhe electrodos being adjustable with- The pipes 7,

in the cooling jackets are fed forward to compensate for their consumption, end such consumption is regulated, es above stated, by Varying the cooling eect, es for instance by adjusting the position or" the jackets rele. tive to theworling end of tlie electrodes; or the consumption of the electrodes meyveilso be control ed by varying the temperature of tl1e'betlr"`by regulating the current condi tions. By such operation it is found practicable to produce alloys of the refractory metals substantially free from carbon or lieving a low carbon content in accordance with the composition of containing any desired proportion of' the el loying inet-el derived ironrtlle electrodes.

lo bile l lieve described the invention es practiced by ineens of metallic electrodes of opposite polarity de ending into the clierge or inolten beth7 it iv` l be understood tliet'the electrodes may be otherwise disposed, end that if desired a single depending electrode may be used, or e group of such electrodes of connnon polerity7 tlic current passing to the inolten product constituting ,tbe electrode of opposite polarity.

' i claim:

l. The process of producing alloys of. refractory metals lieving e low carbon content, which consists in srnelting e charge comprising on ore of e refrectorymetel and a reducing agent, by Ineens of en electric curtlie charge, the alloys rent carried by e metallic electrode capable of alloymg with the reduced product, cooling seid electrode, end regulating the consumpl tion of the electrode end the composition of the product by controlling the coolingeiect at the Working end oi' the electrode.

.2. The process of producing alloys of reractory metals bovin e low-carbon content,

which consists 1n srneA ting e charge containing en ore of e refractory metal and e reducing agent between metallic electrodes cepa,- ble of ztlloying with the reducedl product, cooling seid electrodes, und regulating the consumption of the electrodes end'tlie coniA position ot' the product by controlling the cooling effect et the Working ends oi the elec trodes. Y

3. The process of producin' ,A ierroelloys havin@ e low carbon content, W lic-b consists in srne ting e charge containing en ore of fe-y irectory nietel sind a reducing agent .betweenl electrodes of iron, cooling seid electrodes, and regulating tbe consumption of the electrodes end the composition of the productby controlling t'ne coolino' eliect et the Working ends of tbc electrones i In testimony whereof; l sl'lix rny signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. FREDERCK RLBECKET. Witnesses:

J. N. nmnnnnr,

D, Bonenss, 

